Method and apparatus for automatic gap closing in computer aided drawing

Abstract

Method and apparatus for automatically closing gaps prior to painting a cel in a vector-based computer-aided drawing system. A drawing is processed, as it is entered by a user, to generate a stored planar map containing geometric and topological characteristics of the drawing. The planar map is searched to identify gaps and updated to store synthesized gap-closing vectors for those gaps smaller than a selectable size. The gaps are closed before the painting of the cel, or coloring of the drawing, so as to prevent unintended spill-over of the color into adjacent regions.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of editing a computer generated drawing to close unintended gaps, said drawing being stored in a storage device as a plurality of digital data elements, said method comprising the steps of: storing input drawing strokes as a series of elements in said storage device;   selecting from said storage device a stored element whose characteristics indicate a gap between said stored element and other stored elements, if any;   processing, in response to finding said gap, only those stored elements corresponding to input strokes within a selectable region of said gap in order to synthesize at least one connecting element for closing said gap, and;   updating said storage device by inserting said at least one connecting element in said storage device.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus to edit a computer generated drawing to close an unintended gap in the drawing, comprising: a storage device;   means for storing said drawing in said storage device as a plurality of digital data elements;   means for storing input drawing strokes as a series of elements in said storage device;   means for selecting from said storage device a stored element whose characteristics indicate a gap between said stored element and other stored elements, if any;   means for processing, in response to finding said gap, only those stored elements corresponding to input strokes within a selectable region of said gap in order to synthesize at least one connecting element for closing said gap, and;   means for updating said storage device by inserting said at least one connecting element in said storage device.